MAJOR WALDEN
The fire was burning with active energy in the tall stove, and the dish
of water sitting upon it, “to keep the room healthy,” was sending forth
steam clouds, as Nathan and Lissa, after closing the door behind the
last departing guest, returned to their family room.
Donald had walked home with Esther McCleary, and Mrs. Clyne had retired
for the night, leaving them alone.
“It is an ugly night,” Nathan said, shivering and lifting his shoulders,
as he stood with his hands held behind him and his back to the stove.
“Yes, and I’m afraid I’m going to have neuralgia in my face again,” said
Lissa, pressing her cheek closer to the glowing heat of the fire.
“That’s too bad. I should think that wisdom-tooth would have done
troubling you some time. Ain’t it through yet?”
“No; I pity teething children, if they have the pain I have.”
“Better get good and warm before you go to bed. The house seems
unusually cool to-night.”
“It’s having the doors open so much. But, Nathan, what is the matter?
You have been uncommonly grave and silent all the evening. I hope you
have had no trouble at the office?”
“_I_ have had no trouble,—only,—well, something happened which was quite
unlooked for by me, anyway. Major Walden is in trouble, I think, though
I do not understand the nature of it.”
Lissa looked interested, and her eyes searched his face questioningly.
Nathan drew up a chair and sat down.
“We were both in the office looking over some notes and papers in the
desk this morning when the mail was brought in. There were two or three
letters and some newspapers, which latter he tossed over to me to
examine. While thus engaged I was startled by a strange sound from the
Major, and looking up I at first thought he was in a fit. His face was
pale and distorted, and he shook like a man with the ague. He clenched
an open letter in his hand, which I thought must be answerable for his
condition. I sprang to him and unbuttoned his collar, as he appeared to
be choking, and he seemed to be relieved, though it was some time before
he could control himself, or articulate. When he did, it was to hiss the
words ‘scoundrel, villain, devil!’ with insane fury. I did not know how
to act, or what to say to him, and so after shutting and fastening the
door, that no one might intrude on us,—an act which he seemed to
approve,—I stepped into a little private office opening from the room
and busied myself with the ledger accounts, while I waited for him to
grow calmer.
“It was fully an hour, I think, before he called me, and then I was
surprised at the change in him. He looked ten years older, and his face
had the pinched look of one recovering from an illness. His hands shook
and he seemed entirely unnerved. ‘Nathan,’ he said, ‘I have received a
severe shock, and it has proven almost too much for me. But there are
reasons why I wouldn’t want my family to know anything about it, and I
shall have to ask you to say nothing here of what you have heard or
witnessed. I will explain it all when I feel able to do so. At present I
think the best thing for me to do is to take a little change of air, and
I believe I’ll run down to Omaha for a day or two. I reckon I’m really
sick enough to warrant a day off,’ he said, trying to smile.
“‘Just call at noon and say to Mrs. Walden that I’ve gone to Omaha on
business. Had to hurry off to catch a train, or some such clap-trap, or
say—I’ll write a note to that effect. You see, I fancy she’d better not
see me now.’
“I told him his countenance would betray him, for he really looked ill,
and he had much better not go home if he wanted to conceal the fact, and
so he went off to the station and left me to fix up matters as best I
could. I am more puzzled about the matter, as I am familiar with all his
business affairs and investments, and know everything is ship-shape and
flourishing. However, as he promised to explain everything when he
returns, I need not speculate upon it now I suppose.
“There is another matter I wanted to speak of,” continued Nathan, “and
that is in regard to this man Russell. I don’t know what to think of
him. Mark is terribly opposed to him and his coming to their home, and
if we encourage Alice’s meeting him here—”
“I think Mark has no right to let unreasoning prejudice rule him the way
he does,” interrupted Lissa. “He knows nothing against him, and yet he
is ready to accuse him of all the crimes in the decalogue.”
“I don’t like to think of his power over Esther McCleary, Lissa.”
“O, as for Esther, I don’t think she need yield to his power if she
prefers not to. She can avoid him.” Lissa spoke sharply.
“Not when her mother compels her to see him. My child, do you really
believe in spiritism yourself?”
“Why, Nate, what a question for you to ask! I am sure you are the one
who gave the most credence to it when I first knew you. I didn’t take
any stock in it then.”
“And now?”
“And now I think there’s something in it which cannot be accounted for
in any other way, and—I think it is a blessed thought that our friends
are near us after death.”
“I don’t know whether it is or not. It can’t be pleasant for them to be
witnessing all the pain and suffering which we are perhaps bearing. If
we are promised happiness in the other world it would seem a poor
fulfilment of it to me. I could not be happy if I could look back and
see you suffering for food and not be able to provide it.”
“I was not thinking so much of their happiness, I confess, Nathan,”
Lissa murmured. “But if I should die, and be happy, wouldn’t you like to
feel that I was near you? Wouldn’t you like to hear from me?”
“But how could I be sure of it? I think I should prefer you did not have
to worry over me any more. I was really startled by a remark made by
Major Walden the other day. In the course of conversation I chanced to
allude to Professor Russell in some way, and spoke of his being a
spirit-medium. The Major turned on me with more anger and vehemence than
I have ever before seen in him and said, ‘Bartram, in God’s name have
nothing to do with one of those mediums! Shun him as you would a
rattlesnake that crawls in the grass at your feet, for I tell you his
bite is as deadly, and you never know when he may strike. On no account
give him access to your home and family. As you value your present peace
of mind or your domestic happiness, never let him cross your threshold!’
I was a trifle knocked out, but I told him the medium had been and was a
friend of the family and frequent visitor at my house, and that he
appeared to be a respectable and intelligent man. ‘Yes,’ he replied,
‘the Devil may wear the garb of a saint, but he’s not to be trusted for
all that. I pray you be warned, and shun the fellow in time, as you
would old Clovenhoof himself! I know what I’m talking about.’ I suppose
Walden is prejudiced for some reason, but I can’t help wishing Russell
did not come here.”
“I’m sure I can’t see what possible harm he can do _here_,” Lissa
replied.
“But about Alice. She was not looking well to-night, and I am sorry to
have her oppose Mark.”
“O, of course she feels bad, because Mark has forbidden her to have
Russell at the house when he is not there, and Alice is very set in her
way. It may make trouble between them. I know Mark was angry, for Alice
told me so, and she said he should find she had mind enough to attend to
her own affairs. I expect she’d let him come in spite of Mark.”
“We will hope not,” said Nathan gravely. “Mark may have wisdom in his
objection to Russell. I wish he did not come _here_.”
“How absurd you are. _You_ were the one who introduced him to me, who
believed in him and tried to overcome the horror which in infancy I had
imbibed of spiritism. And now, because of Major Walden’s prejudice, and
Mark’s fanaticism, you are ready to turn round and forbid a spiritist
your hospitality.”
“Well, perhaps I am wrong. I confess I have an unaccountable fear and
distrust of him. I presume Walden’s warning has had something to do with
it. I shouldn’t blame the man for his belief.”
“But if the belief takes away all fear of death, why should we not
embrace it? If I should die before you, I want you to teach little Lucy
that her mamma is near and watching over her. Don’t you think it might
keep her from wrong-doing if she knew it?”
“If she knew it? Ah, there’s the thing! If we really knew.”
“But, haven’t we proof? What human, unassisted, could turn water into
wine as Professor Russell did a few weeks ago?”
“But haven’t you heard Mark’s exposé of that? That is simple. Mark can
do the same.”
“Mark Cramer?”
“Yes; Mark’s university training has served him a good turn in this as
in everything else. You know he is a good chemist, and he can prepare
the glasses so that when water is poured into them a pleasant wine is
produced. He claims the Professor does the same. You will not deny that
Mark speaks the truth. We have known him much longer than Professor
Russell,—or at least much better,—and you know he is the soul of honor.”
“Oh, how awful it is for Mark to do such a thing!” said Lissa severely.
“I wonder he does not receive some terrible punishment. I am sure he
will if he is not more believing. I pity Alice.”
Nathan felt like retorting that he pitied Mark, but he forbore.
“I confess,” he said, “I did feel as if Russell was almost sacrilegious
in assuming to duplicate one of Christ’s miracles, but I can see no harm
in Mark’s exposing the means employed.”
“One thing, Nathan, I want to speak of now, while I think of it. If I
should die first, I will, if there is such a thing as the spirit
returning to earth—come back to you. Now let us determine upon a test,
and see how I shall come in such a way as to be convincing to you if you
are left behind. We will tell no living soul what it is. Then if one of
us goes and can fulfil the conditions, there can be no doubt in the
other’s mind of its genuineness. If I go first and give you the test,
you will have no doubt my disembodied spirit is near you.”
Nathan looked thoughtfully at his wife.
“Your idea is a good one, but God knows I don’t like to think of a time
when it could be tested. Still, it might be a satisfaction to the one
that is left.”
Then they planned a test that should never again be spoken aloud or
imparted to another person.
“There would be danger from the mind-reader, even in this,” Nathan said
to himself. “He might surmise the secret and make use of it to deceive.
Ah, how can we know the truth?”
The next morning the white snow had covered and shut in all the outer
world, and so filled the air that they could only get to the stables by
tying themselves to ropes, and the cold was so intense that many of the
fowls froze upon their perches in the coops.